Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa: The New Social Protection Paradigm and Universal Coverage (New Horizons in Social Policy)

Social policy in the Middle East and North African (MENA) has evolved significantly over the last decade. Focusing on three key dimensions - allocation, membership, and entitlement - and the way these play out in social programmes led by governments, UN agencies and NGOs, this book presents a wide breadth of case studies across this complex and diverse region. It questions whether recent social policy initiatives signal a move towards universal social policy convergence or, instead, represent a continuation of previous policy trends, perpetuating poverty and inequality. Leading scholars with extensive first-hand experience of the region offer major conceptual contributions to the comparative social policy literature. They explore recent changes in the wake of the Arab Spring and Syrian and Palestinian refugee crises, and the expansion of social protection, and question the extent to which these developments signal significant and lasting change. The book concludes by providing policy recommendations informed by a broader evaluation of major trends in social policy in the MENA region. This is a valuable resource for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels studying international social policy, international development, humanitarian and conflict studies, and international politics. It will also be useful to policy makers in government, donor agencies and NGOs working on social protection in the MENA region. Contributors include: B. Abu-Hamad, H. Ait Mansour, J. Aljabiri, J.A. Barry, S.I. Bergh, I. Gercama, R. Jawad, N. Jones, M. Loewe, M. Messkoub, P. Pereznieto, E. Presler-Marshall, F. Samuels, I. Selwaness, M. Shaheen [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Copyright 1 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Contents 2 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Contributors 4 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Acknowledgements 6 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Introduction 8 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Theoretical and policy contexts of social policy in MENA 23 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Social protection schemes in the Middle East and North Africa_ not fair, not efficient, not effective 42 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] A business-as-usual approach to social policy_ The North African experience 68 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] The Egyptian social protection system_ coverage gaps, challenges and opportunities 91 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Cash transfer as a social policy instrument or a tool of adjustment policy_ from indirect subsidies (to energy and utilities) to cash subsidies in 123 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] A pathway to social justice_ Social protection and disability in the State of Palestine 141 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Linking humanitarian assistance to social protection in MENA_ the case of Syrian child refugees 164 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Interrogating the potential of a “cash plus” approach to tackle multidimensional vulnerability in humanitarian contexts_ the case of Syrian refuge 185 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Social protection, political mobilization and Muslim Shi’a NGOs in Iraq post-2003 205 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Social accountability, citizenship and social protection in the MENA region_ exploring the linkages 227 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Conclusion_ synthesis and a way forward for scholarship, policy and practice 250 [9781786431981 - Social Policy in the Middle East and North Africa] Index 262 "Social policy in the Middle East and North African (MENA) has evolved significantly over the last decade. Focusing on three key dimensions - allocation, membership, and entitlement - and the way these play out in social programmes led by governments, UN agencies and NGOs, this book presents a wide breadth of case studies across this complex and diverse region. It questions whether recent social policy initiatives signal a move towards universal social policy convergence or, instead, represent a continuation of previous policy trends, perpetuating poverty and inequality. Leading scholars with extensive first-hand experience of the region offer major conceptual contributions to the comparative social policy literature. They explore recent changes in the wake of the Arab Spring and Syrian and Palestinian refugee crises, and the expansion of social protection, and question the extent to which these developments signal significant and lasting change. The book concludes by providing policy recommendations informed by a broader evaluation of major trends in social policy in the MENA region. This is a valuable resource for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels studying international social policy, international development, humanitarian and conflict studies, and international politics. It will also be useful to policy makers in government, donor agencies and NGOs working on social protection in the MENA region"-- Provided by publisher This book presents a state of the art in the developing field of social policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It offers an up-to-date conceptual analysis of social policy programmes and discourses in the MENA region by critically reviewing the range of social insurance and social assistance schemes that are currently in existence there. It also analyses and offers suggestions on which of these policies can positively impact the region’s advancement in terms of human development and in addressing social and economic inequalities and exclusion.